NYU Launches Startup Incubator for Military Veterans: Hoorah!

November 22, 2017

NYU Tandon School of Engineering Announces Launch of Startup Incubator for Military Veterans; Backed by NYS Economic Development Council and Barclays Bank.

PPM Offers To Support NYU Mission and Provide Business Plan Writing Services

veterans-future-lab-
Leaders from Barclays, NYU, and Partnership for New York City joined together at the startup incubator Veterans Future Lab ribbon cutting.

From WSJ…The startup incubator space, dubbed the Veterans Future Lab and funded in part with a $1 million grant from the Empire State Development Corporation with support from Barclays , would be the envy of any tech startup.

Program participants enjoy a rent-free stay in a 4,000-square-foot loft in Brooklyn’s trendy Industry City complex with long communal tables, a conference room, kitchen and a workshop for fabricating prototypes using laser cutters and 3-D printers. Participants also get pro bono mentoring, design, legal, public relations and marketing assistance from NYU Tandon and area firms.

PPM in association with Business Plans Without Borders , a 501(c) (3) non-profit is now volunteering its team and its platform to provide internships, advanced entrepreneur mentoring, business plan writing services and capital formation guidance to military veterans who have demonstrated they have what it takes to overcome any obstacle.

Those enlisted in the Veterans Future Lab, or any military veteran that is aiming to become a 4-star Entrepreneur, PPM Wants YOU!

For those who have not encountered and/or engaged with a military veteran within the context of a business meeting, you might not appreciate the US military (and many of its counterparts) go to great lengths to provide soldiers of all stripes with rigorous training across a spectrum of skill sets to ensure successful outcomes of any and every mission. More important, the byproduct of military service for most of the highly-decorated and many unsung heroes are qualities, capabilities and qualifications that are often identical to those exhibited by the greatest entrepreneurs and the most accomplished corporate leaders.

“From direct experience, we know there is an overwhelming amount of untapped entrepreneurial talent and innovative business ideas percolating throughout the military veteran community, and we want to help Veterans Future Lab in any way possible,” said Tamar Azous, co-founder of Business Plans Without Borders, the philanthropic arm of PPM LLC

It doesn’t require a Ph.d in Rocket Science to realize that when compared to mere civilians (including those with advanced degrees), properly indoctrinated military members exude the highest degree of discipline, the highest ability to work in team settings, unique level of integrity, focus and commitment and most of all, the ability to think-outside-the-box, before, during and after the sh*t hits the fan. Unlike the universe of math wonks from MIT,  MBAs and many who aspire to be Masters of the Universe, when you are in the midst of a real mission, you don’t have the luxury of precious time to study a manual or research a case study to come up with a solution when a snafu causes an initiative to go side-ways or upside down. In the military, every mission is mission critical, if only because real lives are often on the line. In situations less dramatic than live fire combat or stealth interdiction, soldiers and officers are responsible for 24/7/365 safekeeping of multi-million dollar pieces of equipment, maintaining fault-toleration communications and telecom networks, ensuring supply chain logistics are seamless and all the while, providing clear communications up and down the chain of command.

Those enlisted in the Veterans Future Lab, or any military veteran that is aiming to become a 4-star Entrepreneur, PPM Wants YOU!

Veterans Future Lab, operating under the roof of NYU and supported by the New York State Regional Economic Development Councils (REDC), offers the critical resources that help facilitate veterans’ success in the New York business ecosystem. The program also provides access to NYU Tandon’s bootcamp, “A Bridge to Tandon,” and the opportunity to work toward a Master of Science degree in one of three fields at no cost.

In addition to receiving financial support, veterans in the program can leverage the skills and expertise of Barclays’ senior leaders. Barclays will play a crucial role for veteran cohorts, both with mentorship and by serving as guest lecturers who will share their business and financial experience as it relates to scaling new businesses.

For the full story from the WSJ, click here

NYU Launches Startup Incubator for Military Veterans: Hoorah!